About Us

St. Columba-St. Patrick is a rural Catholic parish set in the northwest corner of Livingston County, New York.  We are at the western edge of the Diocese of Rochester.  

About Our Town

The Town of Caledonia was settled by Scots from Perthshire long before the Irish immigrants arrived. The original settlers had named the land near the Big Springs after the old Roman name for Scotland.

About St. Columba

Many people are familiar with the story of St. Patrick, but St. Columba is another Irish saint of significance, especially with regards to Scotland. The first parishioners, in choosing the saint for whom to name their church the Irish, who came to Caledonia long after the Scots, selected St. Columcille (Lat., Columba) since he too was an exile.

Legend has it that St. Columcille had been exiled as penance for inflaming the Ui Neills to war against the High King Dermott at Cuildremne. Columcille's kinsmen won a bloody victory but three thousand warriors lost their lives. Columcille, now sick with guilt, fled to Devenish and confessed his sin to St. Molaise. A severe penance was imposed. "You will leave your land and kindred - forever. You shall behold them no more but shall travel in foreign lands, winning as many souls for Christ as were slain at Cuildremne."

With 12 companions Columcille sailed northeast in a curragh in 563 AD. From the stern of his ship, he watched his homeland disappear. His destination, Scotland. He set up an important monastery on the island of Iona and evangelized the Scottish people erecting many churches and monasteries.

Legend also tells us that until recent times Irish immigrants spent the night before their departure at a rock in Donegal which marks the place of Columcille's birth.

About Our Parish

Our present day parish is a combination of St. Patrick's of Mumford which opened in 1854 and closed in the late 1980's, and St. Columba which opened in 1885.  The Church of St. Columcille changed it's name in 1913 to St. Columba.  Since the time of the merger we call ourselves St. Columba - St. Patrick Parish 

For more history see our history page.

This website is a new endeavor for us during the summer of 2007. We are very excited about reaching out through this wonderful technology.  Please realize that this website is presently under construction.  We hope to be fully functioning very soon.